Search for Pokémon in the Cairngorms ... safely

Pokémon Go fans can enjoy searching for characters in the Cairngorm mountains, but experts are urging them to do so safely.

The craze for collecting virtual Pokémon characters via a phone app has delighted young people across the world, as collectors track down the characters through the GPS feature in their phones.

But mountain safety experts are reminding fans that while there are undoubted health benefits from getting outdoors, they need to be aware of where they are and how to get home again.

After discovering that Pokémon Go characters can be found aplenty in the Cairngorm mountains, Heather Morning, mountain safety adviser with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, said: “It is not difficult to imagine a situation where a Pokémon Go gamer finds themselves lost and unable to find their way back. It would be equally easy to see how someone could put themselves in danger focusing on their game rather than focusing on the ground in front of them.”

She added: “Another aspect of Pokémon Go is the game’s ability to eat your battery life. All the biggest battery-eating culprits are in action, and your screen is the biggest battery hog.

Gamers need to be aware if they are playing in an area they are not familiar with in the mountains that they should very much stay ‘switched on’ to where they are and how to get themselves home safely.”